Shillong/Agartala, Dec 30 (IANS) The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), an apex body representing eight major students’ organisations of the northeastern states, on Tuesday demanded capital punishment for those responsible for the killing of Tripura student Angel Chakma, who was brutally assaulted in Dehradun and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on December 26.

NESO Chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa and Secretary General Mutsikhoyo Yhobu, in a letter to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, submitted their three-point demands, including capital punishment to the perpetrators of the heinous crime at the earliest.

The NESO also demanded the establishment of at least one special police station for dealing with cases related to racial discrimination and atrocities against people belonging to the northeastern states, and enactment of a stringent law against racial discrimination as the Anti-Racism Act.

In their letter, they also sought the Chief Minister’s urgent intervention for effective measures by the appropriate authorities, which could give mental, social, and physical security to the students and people of the northeastern region studying and residing in Dehradun and other parts of Uttarakhand.

Vehemently condemning such atrocities perpetrated against people from the northeast, the NESO reminded that people have been facing these kinds of harassment in different parts of India, which in many cases have proved to be fatal for them.

According to officials and family members, Chakma, the 24-year-old final-year MBA student of a university in Uttarakhand and son of a Border Security Force (BSF) constable, succumbed to his injuries on December 26 after struggling for his life for 18 days at a hospital in Dehradun.

The student, belonging to the Chakma tribal community, was grievously injured after being attacked by a group of miscreants on December 9, who allegedly made racial slurs.

Angel’s brother Micheal Chakma, who accompanied the victim, was also assaulted in the December 26 incident.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha twice (December 27 and 29) spoke to his Uttarakhand counterpart Dhami over the killing of the Tripura student in Dehradun and discussed steps to ensure strict action against those responsible.

Dhami informed Saha that five accused have been arrested and placed in judicial custody, and further investigation is underway.

Officials in Agartala, quoting the Uttarakhand Police, said that the main accused, immediately after the incident, fled to his home in Nepal.

Acting on the directions of Uttarakhand Chief Minister, immediate financial assistance of Rs 4,12,500 as the first instalment was sanctioned on Monday to Tarun Prasad Chakma, the father of Tripura student Angel Chakma.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister also spoke with the father and assured him that all those involved in the incident will be brought to justice and that the law will take its due course.

The heinous incident sparked a huge outcry in the entire Northeastern region, with Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha and MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi, along with the Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma and many organisations, on Monday condemned the assault, describing it as a “horrific hate crime” and demanding strict punishment for the culprits.

BJP’s ally, Tipra Motha Party supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Tripura’s Congress state President Ashish Kumar Saha, National People’s Party headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma, the All India Chakma Students’ Union (AICSU), the Manipuri Students’ Federation, the Tripura’s Tribal Student Union and several other organisations also strongly condemned the killing and demanded punishment of the perpetrators.

Various youth and students’ organisations on Sunday and Monday organised a candlelight and protest march in Agartala to protest the brutal assault and subsequent death of Angel Chakma.

The mortal remains of Angel Chakma reached Agartala on Saturday, and his last rites were performed at his ancestral home in Machamara village of Unokoti district on Sunday.

–IANS

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